#tomoki is an asshole because he wants to be like takuya :3

[windfighter]

Sticks and stones

”Hey, Kouji”, Junpei said.

Kouji looked up from the game he was playing with Tomoki, looked at Junpei instead. Tilted his head a little. Junpei put the deck of cards he had been practicing with back into his pocket.

”Can you teach me kendo?”

”Uuuh…”

Kouji hesitated. Junpei didn’t like the sound of that.

”I don’t think kendo is for you”, Kouji said.

”Why not?” Junpei crossed his arms. ”Is it because I’m fat and you think I won’t be able to do anything?”

So many people thought that, Junpei was used to it. Hearing it from Kouji though…

”It’s not that”, Kouji frowned. ”Why do you want to learn kendo suddenly?”

Junpei could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He tried to ignore them, sat up straighter and grinned.

”I want to get stronger!”

”Hmm…”

Kouji threw the die, moved a few steps on the board. Tomoki grabbed a card from the board.

”I’m not licensed to teach”, Kouji continued. ”I’m not telling you don’t go for it but… I think something else would fit you better.”

”Like sumo!” Takuya shouted from the tree he had climbed into.

”Haha, very funny”, Junpei answer, not amused.

Kouji looked towards the treetop, shook his head.

”I don’t know how to tell you this, but sumo has a very rigid training and diet regime.”

”It’s just eat and hit, Junpei would excel at it”, Takuya continued. ”He already has the body for it!”

”Yeah”, Tomoki found air somewhere. ”Junpei already looks like a sumo-wrestler!”

Junpei’s shoulders fell. Kouji threw a stick at Takuya, then turned to Junpei again.

”Kendo is about speed and agility, I just don’t think you would enjoy that fighting style. It’s not about strenght.”

”But apart from Takuya you were the strongest back in the digital world!”, Izumi said. ”Surely the kendo must have had with that to do.”

Kouji leaned back, looked at all of them. Looked at the ground.

”I was just… lucky to get the stronger evolutions. But even then, most of my strenght came from speed. While Takuya’s just came from stupidity.”

Takuya threw a stick at Kouji. Kouji grabbed it and chewed on it. Junpei watched in fascination.

”Absolutely gross”, Kouichi said. ”Eat some actual food.”

”Bark is filled with fiber”, Kouji answered.

”So what”, Junpei ignored them, ”are you saying I should just… not become stronger?”

”I’m not”, Kouji frowned again, ”but there are other styles of fighting you could try.”

Kouichi moved a little closer. Looked at his shoes and put his backpack next to Kouji.

”What about boxing?” he asked.

”Boxing?” Junpei asked.

Kouji dove into the backpack, pulled out an apple and bit into it. Tomoki moved his piece on the board.

”Yeah”, Kouichi answered. ”I didn’t… see what went on in Sephirothmon at that time, I was… busy.”

He glanced at Kouji. Kouji was completely distrected by the apple.

”But I saw your battle against Volcamon later and… I think you should try boxing.”

”Actually I think that’d fit Junpei really well”, Izumi said.

Junpei’s cheeks felt hot.

”Really, Izumi-chan? You think so?”

”The hits against the head won’t do much damage either”, Takuya added.

Junpei stood up, glared into the tree.

”Why don’t you come down and say that to my face!?”

Another, slightly bigger, stick flew past Junpei’s head, straight up into the tree and hit Takuya in the face, leaving a thick red line on the side of it. Junpei froze.

”He doesn’t appreciate it”, Kouji’s voice said.

”It’s just friendly teasing”, Takuya said. ”You are a danger to society.”

”Yeah, probably”, Kouji agreed.

Junpei sat down again. Kouji finished the apple and chewed on the stem of it. Kouichi grabbed it and threw it into a bush.

”You’re not a dog, eat actual food.”

”But what if I am?”

Junpei shook his head, laughed and leaned back. Looked at the sky. Takuya started climbing out of the tree. Boxing, hmm… Yeah, maybe Junpei should give that a try. He took the deck of cards out of his pocket again and Kouichi sat down next to Junpei as he went back to showing off his magic tricks.